shea mcclellin

A quick look at what our NFC North foes did on Day One of the NFL Draft:

CHICAGO BEARS

The Bears owned the 19th pick and, despite the presence of Julius Peppers, decided that pass rusher Shea McClellin was their guy. With the incredible offensive line talent that was available at that time, I was a bit surprised to see Chicago choose a defensive end that many argue wasn’t even the best guy available at his position. Meanwhile Chicago’s miserable offensive line is still, well, miserable. Even so, it is hard to argue with a pass rusher considering that they too have to play Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford multiple times each year.

DETROIT LIONS

After years of harping from the media and some fans, the Lions may have finally invested into Stafford’s health by investing significantly into the tackle position. Iowa tackle Riley Reiff was an incredible value for the Lions and Jeff Backus should finally be replaced for good with this addition. Great pick for the Lions who just seem to get better and better under their new regime.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

By taking USC pass rusher Nick Perry, the Packers may have finally found a consistent compliment to Clay Matthews, and NFC North quarterbacks are surely taking note. Perry was not widely regarded as a 3-4 type of player, but I think he has all the tools to be just fine no matter what the scheme. It will be interesting, as the years to go by, to see the Pack ends up regretting their decision to pass on Harrison Smith and allow the Vikings to move up and snag him with the next pick.

A look around the web at how the Vikings coaching staff, and certain prospects, are faring in Mobile during the Senior Bowl practices that took place on Wednesday:

Some of the best prospects on defense appear like they could be coming from Texas if these practices are an accurate indication.

Mike Singletary got very involved with the linebackers on Wednesday. Outside linebacker Lavonte David has had a great week and could be a consideration in the second round. Boise State outside linebacker Shea McClellin drew a lot of praise from Singletary on Wednesday, and could also be a consideration in the second or third round.

Offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz out of California is showing some athleticism to go with his big frame. For those of you particularly interested in seeing the O-line improve, Schwartz could be a prospect to keep an eye on as the Draft approaches.

Leslie Frazier gave some insight as to what exactly he is looking at during these Senior Bowl practices. “Say a guy makes a mistake,” Frazier said. “You get a chance to challenge him on that mistake and then see how he responds. You want to see if he’s going to sulk, if he’s going to blame someone else or is he going to be a guy who says, ‘You know what. I’m going to work to fix that. I want to get that right.’”

The Vikings are expected to have interviewed over 100 prospects in Mobile this year. Offensive tackle Mike Adams is having to answer tough questions about the Ohio State jerseys-for-tattoos scandal while former Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins is answering for his multiple arrests and being kicked off the team.

The Vikings coaches are making an impression. Defensive backs coach Joe Woods drew a huge crowd as he barked out orders. Leslie Frazier has really made an impression on Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. “The Minnesota coaches are real,” said Dennard. “Coach Frazier put a lot of fire in our eyes. I like the way he talks. He let us know this was a big step and that we need to go hard every play all day long to stand out.”

“You have to be careful because you’re trying to measure, ‘Can they translate this to the next level where the best of the best are playing?’ ” Frazier said of this extra scouting experience. “That’s one of the reasons sometimes the wide receiver position is misgraded.”